Sunday, February 14, 2010

Quinquagesima Sunday

Alexander will be 50 later this month. He and his family have gone to London to celebrate in advance with the Streatham crowd – in order to get it in before Lent. This makes my family sound much more pious than it in fact is. The festivities will have been somewhat diminished by Scotland’s last-minute defeat by Wales in an exciting rugby match yesterday.

Rachel turned 50 quietly and unobtrusively a couple of years ago. If Alexander is now going to follow suit, the next thing you know it will be all four of them.

Knitting paid me back yesterday – I stabbed myself in the heel on the dp’s currently employed for the Grandson Sweater second sleeve. Mercifully, no blood on the actual knitting. I found a surprising patch on the carpet this morning, still damp, which I hope will pass as an extra rose. It’s that sort of pattern. I have half a memory that salt will help remove it.

And I’m lame, this morning.

But today I will pick the dangerous sleeve up off the floor – and remember to wear shoes, henceforth, in its presence – and turn to the ear-flap hat. Another little job: we’re going across to Morningside on Tuesday to have lunch with my husband’s sister. If I am to take my current Portable Project, those jolly KF socks, I’ll need to finish off the first one, which has nearly reached the toe shaping, and start the second before we set out.

My husband disapproves of taking knitting at all, but on this I have finally decided to overrule him. Knitting doesn’t embarrass anybody, or make them feel uncomfortable, which is what good manners are all about. At the worst, I suppose, it might be mildly irritating, and I suspect I am that anyway.

Stash Haus, thank you for the pointer to Chris Bylsma’s designs. Never heard of her, and I like what I see, I think smaller units might be more fun for my imagined Koigu project, but I like the shape of that boxy jacket. I must get down to some serious thinking on this one, as soon as I’ve ordered those seeds..

7 comments:

Jean take your knitting!They may find you just as irritating but at least you'll feel better while knitting.My sister in law does not realise how my knitting keeps my sharp tongue out of her way!So Jean knit and smile!Happy knitting, Marcella

Ouch! Sorry about your heel. My boss will accept that knitting helps myself and a statistical colleague to concentrate during meetings, but says it distracts her, and has asked us to desist. Having said that, it has helped me be a more patient person through many family visits.

Jean, I echo Fuzzarelly - thanks again for your blog, which I always like to read, although seldom having a relevant comment in mind.- Beth in Toronto

Oh, take your knitting along. You never know when you'll be stuck in traffic or something. Cold water will at least dilute the blood if not get it all out of the rug. I do hope you have had a tetanus shot within the last ten years. If not, tell the doctor you've had a deep puncture wound - that gets their attention.

Jean, you should always have a knitting project with you!I don't leave home without one and knit whenever I'm stuck waitingI even have a knitting bag that states "I knit so no one has to die"It's my therapy!!!